<p>I haven't submitted the FAFSA yet. I thought I had to wait for college acceptances and for my parents to file their taxes, so I waited until both were finished. I am incredibly confused when it comes to this, grants, loans, etc. as I have no assistance (no family members have attended college and I am in an unconventional school setting where I don't have easy access to counselors). </p>
<p>I would greatly appreciate any basic steps or advice people can offer me. So far I have obtained my PIN, filled out any portions of the application I could myself, and have check up on any deadlines (I haven't missed any). </p>
<p>Now, I do have a few specific questions. My parents just got divorced. Do they both have to provide information? My mother is currently unemployed, but she is who I live with. I read somewhere that you should provide information for the parent that you live with, but I read elsewhere that you should provide information from the parent who financially supports you most, which would be my father. My mother was employed, but made very little money. My father doesn't make a lot of money but he made a lot more than my mother. Which of my parent's economic states would I benefit from most? If I put my mother, would I likely get more aid? </p>
<p>I hope this makes sense and I would be extremely grateful for any advice or information provided by a knowledgeable member here. Thank you.</p>
<p>The information you provide is relative to your living situation in 2009. Were your parents separated in 2009? Did you live with your mother then? If so, you provide your mother’s income and asset information. It’s only if you split your time <em>exactly</em> 50-50 with each parent that you provide the information from the parent who provides the most financial support.</p>
<p>If his dad paid child support during 2009, would that be included in the mom’s financial info?</p>
<p>Yes, mom2collegekids. There is a question about the amount of child support received for the entire year and you have to write in the amount. In my experience, it does not seem to affect the EFC much as long as it’s not a huge amount.</p>
<p>you will receive aid based on different criteria, not just your mother or father’s financial status. that being said, i would use your primary parent/guardian’s information, which in this case seems to be your mother.</p>
<p>vaudevillian: What financial info you use for your FAFSA will depend on how long you lived with each parent during 2009. </p>
<p>Here’s some info from the FAFSA website:</p>
<p>"If your parents have divorced or separated, answer only the questions about the parent that you lived with most during the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, answer only the questions about the parent who provided most of your financial support during the last 12 months.</p>
<p>If your parent has remarried after being widowed or divorced, answer the questions about both your parent and your stepparent."</p>
<p>Here’s the link to the FAFSA FAQs: [FAFSA</a> - Free Application for Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq002.htm]FAFSA”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq002.htm)</p>
<p>If you lived with both of your parents for most of 2009 and they are filing a joint tax return, you use both parents’ info.</p>
<p>Make sure that you have applied to at least one true financial safety – a school that you know you’ll be accepted to and definitely can afford. For many people – including many middle class students with great stats – their financial safety is their local community college.</p>
<p>You are applying very late for financial aid and unless you’re among the very few students who get into the few schools that guarantee meeting 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need – odds are slim that you’ll get the aid that you need. Most schools lack the resources to meet all of the financial need of their students. For many, aid is determined on a first come, first served basis and students with the highest stats and the least (!) financial need are the ones most likely to get what they need.</p>
<p>If you happened to have applied to OOS publics – unless you were accepted to UVA or UNC – your chances of getting the aid you need are close to 0. Even for in-state publics, those tend to give aid first come, first served, and give as little as 60% of the aid students need, and most of that aid is in loans.</p>